[sleepy]

In the manual for my Abarth:

-----------------
Tools Location Your vehicle may be equipped with a spare tire, jack, lug wrench, and tow eyes. For details, contact an authorized dealer. Tools are stored in the trunk.

Jack Tools
1 — Jack Lever
2 — Lug Wrench (If Equipped)
3 — Tow Eyes (If Equipped)
----------------

I have the tire patch kit and single long Tow Eye, but no jack or lug wrench in the trunk (the right compartment of the trunk is empty). Am I looking in the wrong place or does the Abarth not come with them?

 

[Hound]

Yup, they expect in this modern age of convenience that you have a phone and know how to use it better than one of those dangerous jack thingies [sarcasm].

 

[LongBeachJim]

It doesn't come with a jack, although quite oddly, Fiat welded a jack support inside the trunk cubby. Just as well, I wouldn't want to eat up precious trunk space with a sprare tire unless I was driving across the Sahara desert. I might consider run flats (which I had on my last sports car) when the OEM tires wear out.

 

[MotoPete]

Thankfully the jack is available as an OEM accessory. I plan on getting one to use together with a 4WD puncture repair kit.

 

[SJWhiteley]

...

I have the tire patch kit and single long Tow Eye, ...

That's exactly what I got, too. I was curious about only a 'single' tow eye, as the manual seemed to be either plural or none. But then, why would you need two tow eyes? haha.

There is space for a jack, as already mentioned (just like the old Fiat - located in passenger side behind the wheel!). But without a spare, not much good. Maybe useful in the garage, though, when needing to polish up the wheel wells.

 

[pikeman]

Over on the Miata forum some folks bought used RX8 jacks. Mazmart was the source . . .
Pete

 

[Stelvio]

Yup, they expect in this modern age of convenience that you have a phone and know how to use it better than one of those dangerous jack thingies [sarcasm].

The FIAT engineers figured the car is so light you can just have your passenger lift up that corner while you take the wheel off and go get the tire fixed. . Seriously though, do remember your car came with free roadside assistance which includes temporary repair of a flat tire.

 

[SJWhiteley]

Seriously though, do remember your car came with free roadside assistance which includes temporary repair of a flat tire.

That raises a question: who do you call? Is there a phone number in the manual? Were we supposed to get a card with a number on it? How does that even work?!??! [panic mode: on]

I have AAA (like RAC and AA in the U.K.) but since I've got the FCA roadside it'd be nice if they gave you a card or something.

 

[Stelvio]

That raises a question: who do you call? Is there a phone number in the manual? Were we supposed to get a card with a number on it? How does that even work?!??! [panic mode: on]

I have AAA (like RAC and AA in the U.K.) but since I've got the FCA roadside it'd be nice if they gave you a card or something.

Card came with my car. U.S. # is 888-242-6342
Flat tire service
Out of gas
Battery jump start
Lockout service
Towing Service
Covers you for four years.
If you can't reach them for some reason, you can call anyone else and with receipts be reimbursed for the reasonable charges.

 

[MotoPete]

That raises a question: who do you call?

When you live in a country the size of the lower 48, with barely the population of Texas, that can be a very real concern...

 

[PureAdrenaline]

I have actually thought about getting the jack, wrench and throwing one of my other rims in the trunk for a spare when taking a long trip...has anybody tried to put a spare in the trunk??...looks like I will be doing that this week just to see...

 

[stevet]

P.A., can you show & tell what you did for a spare tire and tool kit? Thanks.

Steve.

 

[u35828]

The lack of a jack and spare tire concerned me, especially when planning an extended road trip.

I'm getting a Prius C spare tire from e-bay. It's a 16" donut with the same 4x100 bolt pattern and 54.1mm hub bore. Crossing my fingers that it will clear the stock calipers.

Along with that, I bought a jack and related tools from a local hardware store.

 

[ameridan]

Please let us know how it works out.

 

[frankmar]

I bought a plug kit, which I always had in the other cars and an electric pump. The spider came with one. Also sockets to unbolt the Nuts and have in the trunk, I have to check in the Manual if the road assistance phone no. is there. Usually they send a plastic card by mail.

 

[u35828]

Please let us know how it works out.

I'll test fitment next week when I get the tire and report back with pictures.

 

[pikeman]

The My Fiat phone ap has roadside assistance. But the last time I had a flat, in my Miata, it was a few miles down an unpaved road out in the middle of nowhere. (90% of Texas) If I had called USAA, I'd be a skeleton along the road. You need to be prepared to get to a paved road, hopefully a "stop and rob", and deal with the problem there. I carry two cans of "fix-a-flat" just in case.
Best regards
Pete

 

[u35828]

Fitment Test Results

I bought a 16" donut from e-Bay that was meant for a 2017-16 Toyota Prius C. It finally arrived last night.

On paper, it seemed like it might work: 4x100 bolt pattern, and a 54.1mm hub bore diameter.

Now on to testing fitment.

After chocking the wheels that were going to stay on the ground (along with having the parking brake on & the vehicle in gear)

I proceeded to use a racing jack equipped with a pinch rail protector puck along the jack point to lift the car:

In this case, I was interested in the front wheel. Before lifting the front wheel off of the ground completely, I started to loosen the lug nuts with the 13/16" end of a cross lug wrench.

Freedom!

Tire mounted on the drivers side front:

I managed to spin the front wheel without encountering any resistance, yay me.

View of the caliper, in relation to the wheel (it barely cleared):

Good to go from the front. Now to try the back. I only tightened two nuts until I felt resistance on the wrench. The wheel would not spin (this time I tested it with the car in neutral and parking brake off; not a good idea, but I was willing to test for the benefit of the members here.

Only by loosening the nuts did I get the rear wheel to spin. The scoring on the inside of the wheel indicates the rear caliper is touching.

The takeaway here is that I would need to get a spacer so that the calipers would clear in back. In the interim, if I have a flat in one of the rear tires, i'd have to put the donut in front, and put the front tire in back.

When done playing around, I remounted the original tires, torquing them down to 80 foot-pounds using a 1/2" drive click torque wrench with a 21mm impact driver socket (zeroed after use)

An earlier thread indicated that the acceptable range was between 65-85 ft-lbs

Tire in the trunk:

Not shown: tanker bag w/emergency tools, and jack

 

[u35828]

If anyone has a line on a more suitable spare tire, please share. Considering that no such provisions exist for the Miata ND/124 platform, I would think there would be demand for a proper fitting donut, like one made from aluminum. I wonder if Goodwin Racing could put in a word with one of its rim suppliers.

FYI, My test platform is an 124 Abarth with the standard brakes.

 

[ameridan]

Thank you for sharing your findings. So if i'm viewing the last photo properly, that spare doesn't fit in the well?